Redressing the balance...what you WON'T read about Michael Frater's leaving in the Nottingham Evening Post

Dear Indymedia... Having read the article about library uniforms, I share the writer's anger and frustration.The sheer waste!! Michael Frater's bullying tactics and profligate misuse of public money needs addressing...£25,000 on uniforms, £30,000 on the hire of a luxury yacht, £350,000 on a staff play which the majority of staff never witnessed.... I am dismayed that the Evening Post continues to put such a favourable spin on the 'loss' of Michael Frater. I googled his name tonight and found something on Telford Council Watch. It was tucked away a few pages back, but I think you'll find it very interesting!

Re:£230k Payoff for Frater 2008/03/22 04:41 Karma: 0 This has only been made possible because the Nottingham Evening Post swallowed the line that Frater is a hard working and talented individual with experience at a senior level, who is being denied access to implement all his good plans for us, the citizens, by a load of control freak councillors. It has been widely known for months that he had said he would be back in Telford by April and moved his furniture back some time ago. He has clearly instigated his own departure through manipulating a series of confrontational situations. But the Post's political editor Charles Walker, who has an irrational hatred of the Council's Leader, has steadfastly supported Frater and ignored evidence of any wrongdoing on his part. His reporting of the issue has been woefully one-sided, using every opportunity to snipe at the Council Leader because he's an easy target. One can only assume that Frater had hoodwinked the Post Editor and the Political Editor – maybe over dinner at Harts Restaurant or World Service? Even incidents like Frater's disgracefully inappropriate behaviour, while he was representing the City Council, at one of the Newspaper's own functions recently, widely discussed in the business arena, have been ignored by the Post. Had he been employed in the private sector he would have been sacked a long time ago.

Anyway, now he's back in your neck of the woods – as he said he would be and I hope he enjoys spending the £230,000 of Nottingham council taxpayers' money there – as well as the huge salary which he got over the last 16months for providing absolutely nothing apart from headlines for the local newspaper. Never mind, at least he won't be wasting £thousands of public money on commissioning Plays for staff (£390,000) or his numerous 1st class rail journeys to London and European trips so it might be a small price to pay. More fool the Evening Post for being taken for a ride and supporting him in getting the cash – that wouldn't have happened with the Derby Telegraph or the Leicester Mercury.

He is a con merchant of the worst order and should be absolutely ashamed of himself. My only hope is that he doesn't con another Council, keen to improve services, into taking him on – his only motive is greed and control – but, you know what, he talks a good talk so I wouldn't be surprised to hear of his appointment elsewhere. The article in the Nottingham Evening Post refers to his Trade Union which is, in fact SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) a Mason like organization which are just as culpable in this whole sorry situation that he is – they look after their own and I wish I had such protection as a Unison member. Mr Frater has no idea what it's like being a single mother bringing up a family on a council estate in Nottingham – indeed I doubt that he ever visited any of our neighbourhoods during his short stay in this city (apart from Wollaton where he lived next door to the Conservative Leader). It does lead you to wonder if he was, in fact, a David Cameron plant?

I'm really pleased he was shown the door but I am so disappointed that the promises he gave on his recruitment turned out to be vacuous and more importantly that he tried to turn the blame for his incompetence onto the Councillors in this City and that our local newspaper has supported that. We now know that he was urged to leave Telford and Wrekin Council.

What a shame because Nottingham is a city that is trying to do better. Our stats on social and economic deprivation are appalling and our Council and our local newspaper should be driving forward the improvement on that but instead we have incumbents who are in the public service arena purely to line their own pockets. It's really not good enough is it?

But, I am confident that there is life in Nottingham after Frater – despite the Evening Post's doom and gloom scenario – because we are a great city, full of opportunity and vibrancy and one which I certainly am proud of for what it's worth.

I don't know what all this fuss is about. Surely I'm entitled to lots and lots of your money so I can take two months off sick (without a return-to-work interview afterwards) and then go on a yacht in France? Can't you see I did my best for you ungrateful plebs? Mike. (Please forward any more unused cash you may have to me at "The Totally Unnecessary Uniform Fund", Telford.)

Just remind me - who was Michael Frater and what did he do for Nottingham apart from take an awful lot of our money - more than anyone else has done - perhaps he should be renamed Sheriff of Nottingham - stole from the poor?

Mr Frater is now "aiding" the admittedly appalling Wirral Borough Council out of the extraordinarily deep hole that it has dug itself into, through either complicit or ignorant elected members lack of scrutiny of the frankly outrageous lack of corporate governance by senior officers.